Leadership Presence

Based on discussion from our previous leadership class on presence I am focusing on approachability and confident psysiology.

Outcome:

Become more approachable

Purpose:

To be more effective in leadership positions. I want people to feel completely comfortable coming to me with any issue.

Action:

• Pay conscious attention to my facial expression at all times. Smile at everyone!
• Encourage conversation, especially when greeting people
• Ask questions related to what is currently going on, and get feedback about their personal feelings on topics at hand.

Outcome:

Improve my confident psysiology

Purpose:

Improve my effectiveness and trustworthiness as a leader

Action:

• Maintain good posture at all times. (Never slouch)
• Use effective hand gestures when speaking in front of a group
• Use a strong tone, volume and pitch when speaking

 

Leadership and Growth

Leadership skills are very important to have as an Entrepreneur. Based on the 8 leadership skills that we have discussed in our course I feel that I have some strong areas in all categories, although I also feel that there is room for improvement in every area. My strengths are as follows:

• Vision: I feel confident in my abilities of demonstrating a team vision. I am good at motivating others and inspiring support for the team vision. I am also a very optimistic person, and I always try to build up the bright side.
• Presence: I have been told that I carry myself in a professional manner, and this is something that I do pride myself in. I always maintain a confident and enthusiastic manner, which is something that I love about myself. I feel that I have a strong power of influence, especially in areas of negotiation. I am capable of negotiating skillfully without damaging relationships. I am very confident that I am approachable, and I exhibit patience, and compassion. One of my values is to maintain confidentiality.
• Adaptability: To me this is one of the most important traits to possess. I am very flexible, and great at managing change. I feel that being optimistic plays a big role in this area, because it helps me stay motivated. I feel that I have a high level of self-awareness. I pay close attention to those around me, and I adjust my communication style accordingly.
• Deep Thinking: Quickens’ culture thrives off of going deep. Prior to this exposure I did not really understand the importance of thinking an idea completely through. I feel that my experience at Bizdom has opened my eyes to the importance of timely decision making. I am strong at brainstorming, problem solving, and applying my creativity. I believe that it is very important to educate those around you, by sharing knowledge.
• Personal Growth: I am constantly looking for ways to improve. I utilize the feedback that I receive, and use it to develop my skills. I think it is always important to have someone else take a look at what you are working on. Others always see things that you may be missing.
• Living the Culture: Being a part of such a great culture is amazing! The ISM’s are not only inspirational, but they are also motivational. I try to reinforce ISMs throughout my daily experiences.
• Talent Development: This is an area that I hold to a high regard. I believe that it is necessary to transfer your skills and abilities to your team. I believe that standing behind your team is one of the biggest ingredients in the recipe for success.
• Communication Expert:I am an active listener, and pay close attention to the verbal and non-verbal cues from those around me.

This section will highlight the areas that I would like to focus on and improve:

• Vision: I would like to drill down on my personal vision, I feel like I need to spend more time on clearly defining my personal goals. I think I can accomplish this by taking some time to myself everyday, and aligning my goals with my core beliefs.
• Presence: I feel that I need to work on communicating directly and with forcefulness. I feel that I am too sympathetic sometimes, and I try to put myself in the other person’s shoes.
• Adaptability: I think it is essential to send clear messages, so I would like to work on this area.
• Deep Thinking: I would like to develop these skills more. I think you can never go too deep.
• Personal Growth: I have taken some great strides forward in the area of time management, but I would like to stay abreast of new strategies and tactics.
• Living the Culture: I would like to focus on internal and external business awareness. It is important for me to consistently raise my level of awareness.
• Talent Development: I am interested in learning new ways to deliver effective training.
• Communication Expert: I feel that this is the area that I need to improve in most. It is important for me to be strong in my speaking, writing, and presentation skills. I will consistently ask for feedback in these areas, and make adjustments accordingly.

 

Canine to Five

Have you ever wondered what your dog is doing while you’re at work? That is a question that many people have found the answer to with companies like Canine to Five. Canine to Five is a dog daycare that has found its home in Midtown Detroit. Liz Blondy is the proud owner of this company, which she began in May of 2005. By November of that same year, she expanded to open a dog park; which gives dog owners and lovers the ability to network and share common interests with each other. Her product line currently offers daycare, grooming, some retail, boarding and a dog park. Liz eventually wants to expand her retail offering at some point in the near future.

Liz spoke to our class in detail about her life experiences and how her concept for Canine to Five came to fruition. Liz had been in the corporate world for many years, when she realized that she was not really satisfied. She knew that she was tired of working for someone else, so Liz set her sights to entrepreneurship; she then put a plan and her vision into action. She began by setting aside funds to sustain her quality of life during her start-up phase. While having a conversation with some friends, she learned about dog daycare providers and how well some establishments were performing. This is when Liz started doing her research. At this point, she knew nothing about dogs, she had never evened owned a dog before. So, she began by visiting several different daycare providers to see what this industry had to offer; she also became very involved in volunteering to get a feel for her market. Liz feels her target market is downtown Detroit, as well as commuters who work in or the city. Liz has made the commitment to make Canine to Five the avenue to give her clients the best service she can to them as well as their pets.

Liz is a proud Detroiter; she has also worked very hard to promote entrepreneurship within the city. She is the Co-Founder of Open City Network Group which is an outlet for Detroit entrepreneurs and future business owners to get together and talk about the challenges they face, and how to overcome them. I feel that this is definitely a motivating factor that will lead to sustained growth within the city. I think it is especially essential for those who tend to have more fox like thinking to help them narrow their idea’s and will eventually help them focus on their hedgehog concept as we have discussed in Good to Great. Detroit is grateful to have people like Liz Blondy to help them to enable their voices to be heard within the community, and offers them pride which will help with sustained growth and support of local entrepreneurs.

 

The Purrfect Opener

Some of the best products have been created based on consumer needs. This was the inspiration for The Purrfect Opener. This is also how B.A. Maze, Inc. was created. Bob Mazer and his brother noticed that their grandmother was having trouble opening her medication bottles. So they went to the drawing board, and began brainstorming on how they could make this task easier; for grandma, and consumers who were having similar issues.

Bob Mazer has a background in engineering; he also worked in the automotive industry for several years. He gave our class advice for someone who does not have a similar background, but who has a similar idea. His suggestion is to use resources such as your local college, or university. They often have departments that focus on product design and innovation. Luckily, Bob has been fortunate to have friends who have helped him out along the way. He also worked with an industrial designer who helped him develop his concept into an actual product. Once they had a prototype financing was one of the major components needed. They have been fortunate to win several business plan contests that resulted in their initial start-up capital. They have also invested their own funds into the business as well.

One of the concepts that Bob stressed heavily was “being a leader in your market.” This concept also correlates to some of the ideas portrayed in “Good to Great.” Specifically, what can your company be the best at? Bob proclaimed that his vision is developing new products mainly targeting baby boomers. At this point, Bob has put in many hours of work on this product. From marketing to actually selling the product. The Purrfect Opener is now available in many retail stores. They have also expanded their product line to appeal to different markets, such as people who are dog lovers with The Doggone Opener. They now even supply these same products for companies who want to put their logo on them and pass them out as gifts. Bob is committed to helping his company grow. I was impressed with the passion that he expressed for having his own business.

 

Providing Solutions

Where do you turn when your organization is having problems? Innovative Learning Group can provide you with some solutions! ILG provides practical learning solutions to help their clients reach their targeted goals. They focus on custom learning and performance support services. They structure training programs designed to help a company succeed. ILG mainly targets big companies that have a large net worth. Lisa Toenniges is owner and president of ILG, she came to speak to our class about what her company offers, and how they benefit a company. One of the most impressive things about Lisa was her genuine nature. Lisa has been in this industry for over 20 years. She was very passionate about her experiences.

ILG is a fairly new company, it has been in existence for nearly 3 ½ years. Lisa spoke about how this opportunity basicly fell into her lap. She was working for a company that provided these same services, when they informed her that she would be out of a job within a week. The owners of the previous company were ready to close their doors and leave their almost 20 person team out of employment. Lisa seen the opportunity and took advantage. She negotiated terms to her favor, granting her the ability to continue working with the clients that she had been working with. She was able to start her organization with little to no capital. This is the true essence of bootstrapping as we have been learning in class. She was able to bring some of the previous staff with her, which made the transition much easier.

Lisa gave me inspiration! She is a great example of an entrepreneur. She was able to see the forest through the trees. Lisa spoke about how much she enjoys what she does. I was able to conclude that this is what motivates her to continue pushing forward. Lisa also spoke about her plans for the future. Her main goal is to grow steadily and profitably. She also spoke about what has lead to her success. Relationships are what she feels matter most. ILG provides personalized solutions for their clients, and each project manager works one on one with the area that needs improvement.

ILG definitely has a great future ahead of it. I will definitely continue to follow the success of this company. I think Lisa was a great role model, she follows ethical and moral principals. I feel that she lives many of the ISM’s that we speak about daily. Mainly “doing the right thing,” Lisa believes in helping an organization in the best way that ILG can. She even spoke of instances where ILG may not be the right solution for all of the problems a company is having, and how ILG will point them in the right direction when they are not the solution. Lisa left me with many ideas, and a positive outlook on the opportunities that are out there. Lisa is a great entrepreneur, and a great role model for future entrepreneurs who may be overlooking opportunities right in front of their eyes.

 

A Six Degrees’ Defined Lifestyle

Who do you know? Some people feel that life is all about who you know, including Michael Melfi of Six Degrees Magazine. Melfi believes in the concept of six degrees of separation; which refers to the idea that, if a person is one “step” away from each person he or she knows and two “steps” away from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is no more than six “steps” away from each person on Earth. This was the inspiration for his magazine.

Six Degrees Magazine seeks to maintain and boost what defines cultural style and lifestyle. They accomplish this though their “lifestyle magazine,” which contains unique celebrity editorials and inside connections to local lifestyles. The magazine is also portable and collectible, so people will want to keep them. It is a 192 page pocket-sized publication dedicated to fashion and entertainment, designed to attract the reader. Melfi uses the concept of “experiential marketing” which focuses on creating dialogues and connections between clients and readers. Melfi’s ideal goal is to create connections in the form of experiences. Six Degrees is a free publication that is distributed monthly. It is distributed to retail stores, bars, restaurants, hotels, bookstores, salons and spa’s, as well as luxury condo’s. Six degrees is distributed in three major cities; Detroit, Atlanta, and Miami. Melfi makes his revenue from businesses that advertise with him, who look to draw attention from their local market.

Melfi has created a unique position for himself, because he has defintely revolutioned what we know as the magazine industry. His aim is to make not only a magazine but an experience. There are lots of local attractions if you are looking for something to get into. So make sure you don’t miss out on your next issue. You should make it over to your local distributor before they are gone!

 

Leaving A Mark On Detroit

It takes determination, drive, and a plan to make it to success. Fortunately, Dave Bing of The Bing Group has all of these qualities. Dave Bing who was originally born and raised in the Washington D.C. area is a graduate of Syracuse University, and a former NBA player. He spoke to us about how challenging his college experience was.  Bing talked about the experiences that made a deep impact on his future at a young age. He watched one of his college friends pass away from lukemia. Bing then made a promise to himself that no matter what he was going to graduate from college and make something of himself. Once Bing was drafted into the NBA and moved to Detroit, he realized the potential in Detroit. I was most impressed when Bing spoke about the activities that he involved himself with durning his off season. Bing, unlike most athlete’s today, wanted more from life than just the fame that the NBA offered him. He realized early on that he had to support his family, and one of the only ways he was going to be able to do that outside of the NBA was through entrepreneurship. 

Luckily for Bing, he had a great role model to point him in the right direction. Bing’s father was an entrepreneur, which gave him the drive toward entrepreneurship. Once Bing retired from the NBA, he formed a maufacturing steel company that has grown into a powerful asset for Bing. Over the years Bing has turned his focus to uplifting Detroit neighborhoods. Bing spoke of his recent investment opportunities, and how he plans to make a difference in the Detroit community.

Bing was inspirational to me, because he showed compassion for entrepreneurship. He encouraged our class to “never be afraid to fail.” Which was helpful to me, because it showed that at some point everyone may experience self-doubt. It also shows that as long as you do not give up on your dreams, you can accomplish your goals and often much more. One thing that will always stick out in my mind is that those who are successful take the neccessary steps to get themselves where they want to be.

 

Revitalizing Detroit

“Detroit is where to be.” This is what John Ferchill, of The Ferchill Group expressed to our class. He mentioned that there is definitely room for growth in the Detroit area. Although residential real estate is not always the avenue that he suggests to target, especially in the current era of the troubling mortgage industry. From Ferchill’s advice it is easy to gather that this is the best opportunity for any entrepreneur to get their business ideas off of the ground. Detroit clearly has it’s eyes open to revitalization.

One of the main characteristics that makes John Ferchill so successful is his ability to execute. Ferchill is well known and highly respected within the Real Estate Development market. Ferchill received his bachelors degree in Engineering, although he feels that this field has not contributed to his success. He is a true example that your background does not always dicate your future. Ferchill was enlightening because he told the story of his journey. In the beginning, he really didn’t begin with very much capital, but through hard work and effort he has definitely grown into an empire. One of the concepts that he seems to have perfected is the idea of niching oneself. Ferchill explained that he has capitalized on what he has been good at, rehabilitating historic properties.

I look forward to the completion of Ferchill’s current project, the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel. He discussed how this will soon be one of Detroit’s major attractions. He mentioned that he will have the ability to forecast when the hotel will be filled. He feels that there is a direct correlation between the success of sports teams, and the demand for hotel rooms and entertainment avenues. This is how Detroit will soon re-build itself in the eye’s of the tourist.  Thanks to John Ferchill, and many future entrepreneurs we can definitely look to Detroit for future success!

 

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